Egg-packing



M. KOPPELMAN.

EGG PACKING.

APPLICATION FILED JAN 10,1921.

amomtoz M. KOPPELMAN.

EGG PACKING.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10, 1921.

Ptented May 17, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR BY ATTORNEY UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

MORRIS KOIE'PELMAN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

EGG-PACKING.

Application filed January 10, 1921. Serial No. 436,040.

T all whom it may concern:

e it known that I, MORRIS KOPlEELMAN,

a citizen of the United States and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kingsjcity and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Egg-Packing, of which the following is a specification.

The improvements relate to devices for,

packing eggs for transportation, storage, and other purposes, in such a manner that breaking and cracking and deterioration from other causes will be prevented, and are in the nature of an improvement on the invention of application No. 394,066, filed July 6, 1920. In that application perforated flat sheets are interposed between tiers of cells, the perforations being centered in the cells and of such a diameter as to receive a material part of the egg and hold it in position by wedging action between its sides and the edges of the opening. This construction has been found to be highly effective, and the principle is utilized in the present improvements. It has been found advisable, however, to have openings arranged to receive both the top and the bottom of the egg so as to prevent the egg .from moving vertically and guard against all danger of contact between eggs in superposed cells in case the container in which they are'packed is inverted, and also to hold them more securely against unusual shock and jar due to other causes. ,A modification of this arrangement has also been devised, in which each egg is held in one opening but prevented from moving up'- wardly and out of the'opening by a buffer formed of the material displaced in making the opening next above. These improvements also lend themselves to the use of waterproof or moisture-proof sheet material in the manufacture of the cells or interposed flats or both, and have many other advantages which will appear to those familiar with the art.

The improvements are primarily designed to be used for the purpose of packing eggs, and the illustrative example of an embodiment described and shown herein is peculiarly adapted for that specific purpose. The improvements are not limited however in their scope to this specific use, and may be used for the purpose of packing electric light bulbs and other fragile articles or articles which are likely to be injured by contact with one another, or with the walls of the packing.

The present improvements are illustrated in the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of an egg packing device embodying the improvements; Fig. 2 is a detail in perspective of one of the cells or compartments; Fig. 3 is a similar view of a port on of one of the flat sheets with egghold ng openings; Fig. 4 is a view similar to F1g. 1 on a reduced scale of a modificatlon; Fig. 5 is a plan of cells or compartments, and Fig. 6 is a plan of similar cells with a sheet provided with openings and spacers positioned thereon.

The cells are formed of intersecting strips 1 and 2 dlsposed-edgewise, and interlocked so as to secure them in position and form cells of uniform size. The depth of these strips, and consequently of the cells formed bv them, is somewhat more than half the length of the egg, so that the medial portion of the egg is located therein and its end portions permitted to extend above and below. The cells are preferably rectangular, but any other suitable shape may be employed. The construction of the cell walls may also be varied.

Interposed between each tier of cells and the next is a sheet of material 3, provided wlth openings 4 of uniform size, and these sheets are so positioned that the openings 4 are centered with respect to the cells, one opening being above and another below each egg-receiving cell or compartment. The sheets 3 are preferably made of straw-board or similar material and waterproofed, and the cells are made of similar material and may be similarly treated. The waterproofing of the sheets tends to prevent them from softening under the action of moisture and particularly at the edges surrounding the openings, which are in contact with the outer surface of the eggs and therefore exposed to moisture which may condense thereon or issue from the inside of the egg. This not only prevents the edges of the openings from softening and yielding so as to permit the egg to move, but protects the egg against contamination by the absorption of moisture which has first come in contact with the material of which the packing is made. It also, when a soft waterproofing substance is used, has a tendencyto coat the that the shell will. not readilyabsorb mois- 1 ture.

In packing the eggs 5 a bottom tier of cells 6 is first placed on the supporting surface or in the bottom of the shipping package or other receptacle, in which the eggs are to be contained. As shown this tier of shells is shallower than the others, but it maybe of the same size if desired, and the particular circumstances of its use permit, and in this case it will not be necessary for the user to make any selection between the layers or tiers of cells. One of the fiat sheets C is now placed over the bottom tier, with its holes 4 positioned centrally with respect thereto, and eggs inserted in the holes. The

.,.large 'or the small ends of the eggs may be placed in these first holes. indiscriminately, for while the eggs will extend farther through the openings when the small end is inserted, the upper ends will not extend so far through the openings above, and as the depth of the intermediate or spacing cells is more than double the distance to which the smaller ends protrude, eggs in superposed layers cannot come in contact with each other. A tier of cells of full depth is now placed over the eggs positioned in the openings of the first flat sheet, and another flat sheet is placed over'their upper ends, with the openings of this second sheet receiving the upper ends of the eggs. If desired the openings in the sheets applied to the upper ends may be smaller than those in the sheets applied to the lower ends, and in this case the small ends of the eggs will be placed in the openings of the lower sheet, or this arrangement may be reversed. The use of sheets with openings of the same size, however, is preferred, and gives entirely satisfactory results. A tier of intermediate or spacing cells is now placed over the upper ends of the eggs, and the process of packing continued by repeating the operations just described until the ,desired number of eggs have been packed.

In this manner each egg is isolated from the cells and from the others and securely fixed in position, so that it cannot be displaced byany ordinary shock, ar, or vibration. The isolation of the egg from the packing is important, not only because it prevents breaking, as where eggs in adj oining cells come in contact with opposite sides of a wall, but because contamination of the egg through contact with the packing, and the absorption of contaminated moisture therefroni by the porous shell is prevented. It has been thought by some that the'proper way to pack eggs and protect them against breaking is to hold them by means of spring or cushion supports, and numerous devices with this purpose in view have been devised. The present improvements, however, are based upon a different plan, in which the eggs are held firmly and in relatively rigid holders the contact of which with the egg is substantially a minimum surface contact, while the egg is gripped in such a manner and at such points by the holding edges and through the wedging action between the shell and these holding edges that the strength of the arch of the shell is taken advantage of and the pressure so distributed that a firm holding grip is produced, without danger of breaking, and which will insure against breakage from other causes.

When the eggs are unpacked the packing operation is substantially reversed, and in this operation each layer of eggs may be removed separately and without danger of dropping or displacement, so that they can be examined, candled, sold, or handled for any purpose, separately or in layers, with perfect safety. 7

In-the modification of Figs. 4 and 6, instead ofhaving the upper ends of the eggs held by flat sheets with openings and providing intermediate tiers of cells the eggs are held in the lower openings and are prevented from moving upward therefrom or into contact with eggs above them by buffers or spacers 7, formed by stamping out the material displaced in making the opening on lines approximately parallel with one diameter. I In this manner buffers are produced opening, and therefore extend a sufficient distance below it to prevent the lower egg from moving out of its opening, and protect the upper egg from contact therewith under all conditions. In this construction, however, the principle set forth in the copending application," herein referred to, is employed with the additional provision of the buffers to prevent the egg from moving upward.

What I claim is:

1. The combination of a plurality of compartments having vertical walls adapted to inclose the medial portion of an egg, but being of depth materially less than the length of the egg to be placed therein, a sheet of material extending over the said compartments provided with openings of a size to receive the end portion of an egg and to permit the egg to extend therethrough to a sufiicient extent to bring its side surfaces in contact with the edges of the opening between the end and the medial portion thereof, a sheet of material extending under said 2. The combination of a plurality of compartments having vertical walls adapted to inclose the medial portion of an egg being of depth materially less than the length of the egg to be placed therein, a sheet of material extending over the said compartments provided with openings of a size to receive the end portion of an egg and to permit the egg to extend therethrough to a suflicient extent to bring its side surfaces in contact with the edges of the opening between the end and the medial portion thereof, a sheet of material extending under said compartments provided with similar openings, whereby the medial portion of each egg is surrounded by the compartment, with the end portions thereof extending through the openings and beyond the top and bottom thereof, and the egg is held against vertical as well as lateral movement, by frictional coaction between its sides and the edges of the openings, a second series of compartments superposed upon the first compartment with the sheet interposed between, a third series of compartments beneath the said first compartment with the second named sheet interposed between, the said second and third compartments being in vertical alinement with the first compart c partments having vertical walls adapted to ment.

3. The combination of a plurality of cominclose the medial portion of an egg, but being, of depth materially less than the length of the egg to be placed therein, a sheet of material extending over the said compartments provided with openings of a size to receive the end portion of an egg and to permit the egg to extend therethrough to J a sufiicient extent to bring its side surfaces in contact with the edges of the opening between the end and the medial portion thereof, a sheet of material extending under said compartments provided with similar openings, whereby the medial portion of each egg is surrounded by the compartment, with the end portions thereof extending through the openings and beyond the top and bottom thereof, and the egg is held against vertical as well as lateral movement, by frictional coaction between its sides and the edges of the opening, a second series of comand those next below and above them respectively, said last named compartments being adapted to inclose the medial portions of eggs, and the construction and arrangement being such that the end portions of eggs in the first and fourth named "compartments extend into the second compartment, the height of the second compartment being greater than the extent of the projection thereinto of eggs in the compartments above and below it.

4. An egg packing comprising a plurality of disconnected tiers of vertically alined compartments or cells, each compartment being of suflicient depth to receive the medial part of an egg, but being of insufficient depth to receive the end portions thereof when the said medial portion is located therein, sheets oftmateri-al interposed between said tiers, said sheets having openings therein of diameter inferior to the diameter of the compartments, but of a size to receive the end portion of an egg and permit the same to pass therethrough to a sufficient extent to bring its side surfaces in contact with the edges of the opening, and each compartment being of. greater depth than double the distance which the egg proan opening in the top thereof and portions l of the material surrounding the opening extending into proximity with the upper por tion of an egg when placed in the compartment and in the path of the upward movement of the egg therein, another compartment superposed on the first named compartment and of similar construction, the portion surrounding the opening in the top of the first compartment acting to prevent an egg in the lower compartment from moving upward to proximity with the opening of the upper compartment.

6. The method or process of packing eggs which consists in placing a hollow cell on a supporting surface, placing a sheet of stiff material thereon with an opening centered over said cell of suflicient size to receive the end portion of an egg, placing the end portion of an egg in said opening so that it projects therethrough until its side surfaces are in contact with the edges of the opening, placing another similar cell over the medial portion of said egg and permitting the upper end of the egg to extend therethrough, placing on the upper end of said egg another sheet of material with 34 511111131 opening so that the upper end of the egg extends through the said opening, placing another similar cell over the upper end of the egg and placing a similar sheet of material with a similar opening centrally positioned over the last named cell, placing an egg in the last named opening in the same manner as the first, and repeating the operation until the desired number of eggs have been packed.

7. An egg packing comprising a plurality of disconnected tiers of vertically 'alined compartments or cells, each compartment being of sufiicient depth to receive the medial part of an egg, but being of insufficient depth to receive the end portions thereof when the said medial portion is located therein, sheets of material interposed ber tween said tiers, said sheets having openings therein of diameter inferior to the diameter of the compartments, but of a size to receive the end portion of an egg and permit the same to pass therethrough to a suflicient extent, to bring its side surfaces in contact with the edges of the opening, the said sheets being waterproof.

8. The method or processof packing eggs which consists, in suspending each egg in -a container by means of supporting material having apertures therein positioned between the end and the middle of each egg at the upper and lower part thereof, of a size and shape corresponding with the size and shape of the circumference of the egg at that part and interposing between eggs vertically extending spacing and supporting members out of contact with the eggs, but adapted to maintain the vertical spacing of the openings.

9. The method or process of packing eggs which consists in suspending each egg in a container by means of supporting material having apertures therein positioned between the end and the middle of each egg at the upper and lower part thereof, of a size and shape corresponding with the size and shape of the circumference of the egg at that part, andrinterposing between the said apertures cells spacing the said supporting material and surrounding the medial part of the egg.

10. The method or process of packing eggs which consists in suspending each egg in a container by means of supporting material having apertures therein positioned between the end and the middle of each egg at the i and surrounding the medial partof the egg,

and placing similar cells above and below the said supporting material.

11.' The method or process of packing eggs which consists in suspending each egg in a container by means of supporting material having apertures therein positioned between the end and the middle of each egg at the upper and lower part thereof, of a size and shape corresponding with the size and shape of the circumference of the egg at that part, and interposing between the said apertures cells spacing thesaid supporting material and surrounding the medial part of the egg, and placing similar cells above and below the said supporting'material, then supporting other eggs on the said last named cells placed above.

12. The method or process of packing eggs or other globular articles of a fragile nature,

or likely to be injured by contact with one another, which consists in suspending each article in a container by means of supporting material having apertures therein positioned between the end and the middle of each article at the upper and lower part thereof, of a size and shape corresponding with the size and shape of the circumference of the article at that part, and interposing between the supporting material having the apertures vertically extending spacing and supporting members out of contact with the articles, but adapted to maintain the vertical spacing of the openings.

Witness my hand this 5th da ary, 1921, at the city of New county and State of New York.

MORRIS KOPPELMAN.

of Januork, in the 

